Archangel's Prophecy: Guild Hunter Book 11 (The Guild Hunter, #11)

by Nalini Singh

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh's darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, is thrust centre stage into an eons-old prophecy . . .

Midnight and dawn, Elena's wings are unique among angelkind . . . and now they're failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she's regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before it's too late, and Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena's very survival, violent forces are gathering in New York and across the world.

In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena's mind whispers a haunting voice that isn't her own.

This time, survival may not be possible . . . not even for the consort of an archangel.

*************

Praise for the GUILD HUNTER novels:

'Complex worldbuilding and the perfect balance of horror, heroism, passion, honour, and, always, always, a message of redemptive love' Kirkus Reviews

'Pure reading pleasure' Romantic Times

• ISBN10: 1473224578
• ISBN13: 9781473224575
• Publish Date: 1 November 2018 (first published 30 October 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Gollancz
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

I’m almost caught up with the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh before the next book comes out in November. Thank goodness. This series has been one of my favorites to read because of the world and the characters. I’ve always loved angels/archangels in romance books, and this series feeds that passion.

The eleventh book in the series is back with Elena and Raphael. This time though, Elena is losing her immortality by regressing backward. She’s losing her feathers, not healing minor cuts, and dealing with sharp pains and itching near her chest. It’s like she’s becoming a mortal again. Oh, and let’s not forget the voice in her head that keeps telling her that she is destined to die for the other to live. There are also mysterious owls that keep showing up, but Ashwini says they are only messengers, and she shouldn’t worry about them. Yup, Elena has it hard in this book. Raphael, her beloved archangel, is worried for her and will not be the same if something happens. He has to deal with strange happenings too because of the Cascade. It’s never dull for these two characters.

There’s also the issue of Harrison, Elena’s little sister’s husband, almost being killed by someone. Now that someone has threatened Beth and Harrison’s daughter. Elena doesn’t care that she is regressing because she needs to find the person that almost killed Harrison and protect her sister and her niece at all costs. She’s a determined Guild Hunter who will do anything to protect her family, even if it kills her. < She’s one of my favorite kick-butt heroines because of her determination and strength.>

This book will keep you turning the pages because it is a whirlwind of madness due to the Cascade and a killer on the loose. I wish Elena and Raphael could have some peace in their lives, but these two have a war coming soon, and they will need to be there to fight it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Elena will be there. If you’ve read the previous books that involve Raphael and Elena, you’ll know these two are inseparable. Raphael is a true Alpha male who will do anything to make sure Elena lives. He will even die instead of having to deal with life without her. You can feel their connection between each other, and no strange old being talking to Elena about destiny will stop these two from loving each other.

Nalini Singh always does a fantastic job with her stories, and this one was no different. Be prepared, though, because there is a cliffhanger at the end of this book. I know I will be diving into the next book immediately. I need to know what happens. I was almost in tears towards the end due to what was happening. I don’t particularly appreciate seeing anything happen between my favorite couple in the series.

One other thing that fascinated me about this book was how the Legion played a role in this book more than usual. They seem to be very protective of Elena for a reason. It may be because of Raphael, but I know it’s something else. They are fascinated by Elena.

Overall, this book receives 4.5 stars from me, and I highly recommend it to PNR readers out there and readers that enjoy Urban Fantasy.

I’m crossing my fingers that Raphael and Elena finally get some peace in their lives in the next book, but that’s highly unlikely. I wouldn’t have it any other way because Nalini keeps me coming back for more with this series.

[booksandcats]

All in all, a really great book in the series, which makes me absolutely excited for the next one. Because I think you can't really talk about this book without giving anything away, I'm going to put it all in spoiler mode, consider yourselfes warned.

I understand Elena's regression from a writer standpoint, and Raphael's potential loss in power, but didn't like it too much cause I really love them both for being so strong. However, I loved how it showed how strong their relationship has gotten. That was one of the best things throughout this book. Their love was shown so beautifully and strong.

I also like actually meeting Cassandra in here, cause I was curious about her, since she was first mentioned in the series. I love how in the end, she kind of tries to help Elena and Raphael to change destiny, and I also how it is revealed that the legend of Angel-Mades came from a prophecy of her about Elena and Raphael. It makes Elena more one of a kind (which I like).

The subplot wasn't too great for my taste, a bit too obvious and also, I didn't like how the cascade was interfering with so many things. In my eyes, it was supposed to be a thing that happened, comparable to a thunderstorm. Not a appartently semi-conscious being who can interfere in fights to make two strong beings (Elena and Ashwini) who both on their own should have been able to take down a mortal hunter and let them lose. Only to be then defeated with basically a snap of a finger after his job was done. That really annoyed me. If it was that important to an apparently that powerfull Cascade, it should have killed Elena itself. I liked the subplot a bit, because it showed us a great contrast in how grief can wreck your life. But I did not enjoy that part too much.

There is a cliff-hanger in the end, cause you don't know how Elena is going to wake, and I didn't like that a lot, but because I was following several discussions and reviews before hand (without getting spoiled which was kind of hard), I was preparred, so it wasn't so bad. I expected a lot worse.

All in all, if you like the other books of her, especially from this series of corse: it is a must read.

[EBookObsessed]

I love Nalini Singh. Her characters are vibrant and her stories are engrossing. Archangel’s Prophecy held me captive and then left me pulling the blankets over my head and crying…not the pretty, movie weeping, but that ugly, red-faced sobbing.

Warning: Spoiler-ish. You have been warned.

I received a copy of Archangel’s Prophecy back in July and immediately jumped on it, and I have tried not to think about it since but as the release date is tomorrow, I am forced to relive this torment in print. In fact, just trying to make myself sit down write this and I have gotten up to start the laundry, see if anyone needs lunch, and look through some of the paperwork piling on my desk. I really don’t want to talk about this story.

What is the most important thing you need to know about this story; the fact that you don’t know what happens. Nalini Singh brings you the most important twist in this series and she leaves you hanging. It’s brilliant and it is evil!!!

The story of Elena trying to track down whoever has been killing vampires is more than enough of a story to hold your interest. We could have gone with that and happily paid our $7.99. What makes this story so painful is that we see Elena deteriorating over the course of the story. She loses more feathers than is normal for an angel and then more and more as her wings start to droop. There is a lot more to her symptoms but let us say that the angels healers have no idea what is wrong with her. They are also kicking up the investigation of old lore about other humans who were made by an angel by ambrosia to see why this is happening to Elena. Is there something wrong with her specifically? Is it because she was a hunter? Or is the transformation to angel temporary? But even their best scholars are finding no written record of a prior transformation. What is worse than not finding any records is the possibility that there were no prior human to angel transformation and it is all folklore.

Angels are supposed to be seen as perfect to the humans which is why angels with deformities, like Jess with her twisted wing, are kept secluded in the santuary. Elena is a well-known angel in the New York area and hiding away will cause speculation so Elena needs to be careful to stay alert and keep her wings up when she is investigating the vampire killer. Raphael assigns her another angel to look out for her in case she has another episode and cannot fly. It is easy to disguise her escort as a bodyguard, but if she collapses and needs to be carried away, people will start to talk and her transformation will once again become a problem for angelkind.

There is no question that Nalini Singh knows how to do her job. No matter how painful it was to see Elena falter and deteriorate, and no matter how many scenes there were between Elena and Raphael silently staring and thinking that each moment could be their last, I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what happened to her (because of course she would be fine!) until I got to the end and then the screaming began.

In the Guild Hunter series, we have watched Elena make a miraculous transformation from a human/Hunter to an angel, growing actual wings and learning to fly. Over the next nine books, we see Elena growing in strength and her flying ability. She is becoming a capable angelic warrior. So I am blaming what is happening now on all those fans who keep clamoring for an archangel baby.

In story after story, Nalini has written lines and made statements that not only are births a rarity to the long-lived angels but as a baby angel herself Elena is not strong enough to carry Raphael’s baby. It could take centuries for her to be on his level. But no, fans want a baby NOW! In Archangel’s Prophecy, Nalini goes as far as to indicate that Elena and Raphael are so different that they might as well be two separate species. (Now I am not talking about lions and tigers making ligers. I am talking about mating a lion to an ostrich different.) So now we have a prophecy that Elena needs to transform so she can become a vassal. Oh, we are confused, says every character in the story, a vassal for what? Duh! Angel baby, of course. One that will be cute and adorable and have to go live at the sanctuary for years and then we will have to worry about him/her being used as a pawn and will Lijuan try to possess Raphael’s powerful baby! But people, here is the next rule: if Elena transforms and becomes a “vassal” everything Elena disappears!! She becomes a walking womb. That is her transformation.

As I said before, we end this torture with no answer so make sure you have an industrial size box of tissues next to you before you start and a pillow to scream into; and yes, I will be knocking people out of my way to get to the bookstore on release day to get to Book 12. I might even call in sick to work because I have to know what, in a world of humans, vampires and angels, what could Elena possibly become that better be cooler than being an angel?

See more at EBookObsessed.com

[Linda]

I have no words right now. That ending, though. I'm dead!

[littleread1]

I just really love this series. And I know a lot of people are upset by that ending, but I thought it was perfect for this story, and you KNOW she won't leave us hanging.

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

I love this series from Nalini Singh. If you’re not familiar with this series, it is a combination of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. It starts off following guild hunter turned angel, Elena, and archangel, Raphael. They are the main couple of the series. The first few books follow them, but then the author starting writing books in the series that follow other characters as they become couples, which is where the more PNR thing comes in. There has been a couple of times that she has gone back to Elena and Raphael and that is what we have with this book.

The series consists of angels and vampires as the two main paranormal creatures. Angels are the ones who make vampires and those vampires have to work for the angels for 100 years in exchange for their immortality. There are very severe punishments, including possible death, for vampires who try to break their contracts. There is also the Guild, which is hired by the angels to track and find these rogue vampires and bring them back to finish their contracts. There is also the Legion, which is a species of gargoyle that think with a hive mind. They are also ancient and newly awoken into this completely different world.

Right now, the characters are in New York City and dealing with The Cascade, which is a magical power boost. It reminds me of a Flare in Kate Daniels. A lot of magic and things go wonky to both people and the world they’re living in.

On top of dealing with everything going on with The Cascade, there is also a mystery that Elena is trying to solve. Her vampire brother-in-law was nearly decapitated. She is working on figuring out why someone would attack him. Oh, and Cassandra, ancient angel, so ancient, some even think she’s just a legend, seems to be talking to Elena mind to mind. Cassandra was a prophet who is said to have clawed out her eyes to stop seeing the future, which didn’t work.

Raphael is dealing with an issue with a newly arisen archangel who has control of one of the largest territories. We don’t get to see them together much, because they are each fighting their own battles, but what we see of them together gives all the feels.

We get some time with several characters we’ve spent time with in the past, like Dmitri, Janvier and Ashwini, Vivek, and Ransom all get a good amount of page time. I love seeing more and more of Vivek, paralyzed guild hunter, turned vampire, computer genius. Last, I want to mention everyone’s favorite angel, Illium, a.k.a. Bluebell for his beautiful blue wings. We get some time with him, but it never seems enough. I know Nalini Singh is going to keep us waiting (just like Jeaniene Frost did with Ian), but I know she will give us a book for Bluebell one day. I will continue to wait, because I trust her to do what’s best for Bluebell.

Conclusion, another wonderful installment of the Guild Hunter series, one of my favorite series. This is not a series to be read out of order. You must start with book one and work your way through each of the full length novels to understand everything that is going on. You can skip the novellas and short stories (she writes a lot of them, some are in her email newsletter). You can read those out of order.

Narration

I love Justine Eyre’s narrator. I can’t remember which book was the first one I listened to in this series, but I’ve been audio only ever since. I love all her voices for the different characters. She also puts a lot of passion into the voices. You can really feel the difference between the very warm and human Elena and Raphael, who is very much not human, but is getting closer every book. There are also the Legion who talk to Elena in her mind all at the same time and they have a very interesting voice that I think she’s done a great job with. Male, female, otherworldly, doesn’t matter, she gets a great voice for the character’s personality. I highly recommend her narration.

**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[thebookdisciple]

I'm always excited for any new Nalini Singh book, but when I found out the next Guild Hunter novel would be Elena and Raphael again I was beyond thrilled! I cannot get enough of the archangel of NY and his consort.

You really have to read these in order (at least have read the ones that focus on Elena and Raphael) or you will be lost. Singh has created a unique world that will be lost on readers who aren't caught up on the series. Archangel's Prophecy picks up when the cascade is causing havoc again. In addition, Elena is having some very strange symptoms. Her wings are quite right, she isn't healing like an immortal should, and she is hearing voices in her head speaking of her impending death. The world is in total turmoil! Raphael has to focus on all the world's problems as well as face the possibility that Elena could die. And, another archangel could be awakening soon. Cassandra is SUPER old and therefore VERY powerful. This could seriously throw the world into chaos...and combined with the Cascade...YIKES!

Woven into all this major drama is an issue with Elena's sister and brother in law. Someone nearly killed Harrison and threatened Beth and their daughter. Elena is desperate to figure out who the threat is so she can protect Beth. Because, you know, she isn't dealing with bat crap crazy stuff going on around her and in her own body!

I love Elena and Raphael. Elena is the quintessential 'badass heroine'. She is a vampire hunter who is very good at her job. She is the consort to an archangel, but doesn't let that title become her only identity. Raphael is a big, badass archangel but he so loves Elena. Their love is sweet and in contrast to how deadly they both are. They are one of my all time favorite fictional couples.

Fans of the series will love this new edition! You get not only more Elena and Raphael, but snippets of all your favorites from the previous books! Archangel's Prophecy is everything you want from a Guild Hunter book and will leave you elated and already counting down for the next edition (because THAT ENDING!?!?!)

Justine Eyre is a phenomenal narrator. If you are new to audiobooks, you can't go wrong with one she narrates.

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: angels/demons, vampires


• Triggers: spoiler


• Series/Standalone:


• Cliffhanger: spoiler


• HEA: spoiler

authors like Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Christine Feehan ...then you will probably like Archangel's Prophecy!

 

Archangel's Prophecy

Illium turned in a direction that would take them to the Catskills if they kept on going.

Sweeping closer to him, she said, “You just want to fly?”

Hair rippling in the quiet but cutting wind, he twisted down in a complicated fall before flying back up to her side. She laughed at his showing off. That was Illium. An angel of violent power who had a heart that might almost be mortal. And, these days, she could appreciate his tricks again. Not a single angel in the city had been ready to witness his acrobatics in the immediate aftermath of the day he’d crashed out of the sky.

Elena would never forget her screaming fear.

To his credit, Illium had flown with absolute discretion for months, letting the memory dull and fade.

When he returned to her side today, his face was flushed, the gold of his eyes rich. “Sky’s too beautiful to shut ourselves away in a club.”

“Just don’t forget I’m not as fast as you. Also, I’m currently lame.”

Illium lifted one cupped hand close to his shoulder, the other moving back and forth . . . and she realized he was playing a tiny violin in response to her morose tone.

“Crossbow, Bluebell.” Narrowed eyes. “Remember the crossbow.”

He dived, his wicked laughter floating up on the night air. Lips twitching, Elena continued to glide, letting the air currents sweep her along with cold but gentle hands. Illium, meanwhile, flew circles around her—but he never went far, always close enough to halt her descent should she tumble.

She landed a number of times to rest her wings, once in an isolated park whispering and dark. A luminescent insect appeared then disappeared from sight before she could truly see it, an earthbound star. The ghostly owl sitting on a tree branch watched her with eyes even more luminous.

A sigh deep in her mind, an old, old presence restless in Sleep.

The hairs rose on her arms.

Then Illium shot them both up into the sky again, and together, they flew far beyond the diamond-bright skyline of the city and over the sleeping homes of ordinary people who lived in a world of vampires and angels, blood and immortality.

Another rest stop for Elena.

Another throb of pain from the cut on her forearm.

Another watchful owl, this one landing on Illium’s shoulder without his knowledge. Ashwini had told her not to be afraid of the owls, so Elena ignored the goose bumps and said, Hello, with her mind. A good night to fly.

A vein began to throb at her temple.

The answer came a long time later, after they were in the air again, the glow of the sinkhole visible from the distance.

It has been an eon since I flew.

 

Posted by arrangement with Berkley, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Nalini Singh, 2018.See full review on The Book Disciple